Tag Archive: Cross-dressing

Fear is the biggest reason and excuse for not doing something. Inaction seems to be the reason to avoid the potential negative consequences of what might happen should you actually do something. Not doing something leads to frustration, lower self worth and the wrong downward spiral. So start thinking about doing something and break this malaise!

How many times have I wished that I became more open about my dressing much earlier than I did. How many people who attend my girlfriend’s dressing service Chateau Femme say they wished they had had the stomach to do this at a much younger age. And how many times have we heard from people who on going out for the first time say, damn this was such fun I just wished I had done it earlier. Fear my dear fear!

Its a New Year and we are all making numerous resolutions and for many Trannies it is normally I must get out once/more/lots more! But we put endless reasons in the way as to why we should not do something rather than look at the positives we will gain from new activities. Susan Jeffers in her excellent book Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway highlights firstly that the main reason why we succumb to fear is that we cant handle the consequences. She goes on to show how by rationalising and diminishing these fears in your mind you develop more trust and confidence in yourself and the problems that may arise can be handled and are less of a barrier to doing something. Firstly however you have to confront your fears.

Trannies have a phenomenal library of reasons as to why we can’t handle this whole dressing thing. It’s not acceptable to society in general, its offensive to your family, others don’t want to be associated with you because they worry about what people will say about them being seen with a Transvestite. You see it as a perversion not a part of your make up and persona. People say its not innate just a sick pastime. How do you tell anyone about this subject? How do you get out of the front door without being recognised? How do you hide your clothes from the family? The list is endless and the brick wall of reasons for not doing something are close to the Great Wall of China.

All these fears and many, many more conspire to stop you doing something that feels totally innate within you. The reality is that well over 90% of our fears never come to fruition but we focus on the 10% because its a reason not to do something. We say No not Yes for comfort. Where these come from you can analyse ’til the cows come home but where it is going to take you is in your hands alone and these fears have to be conquered if you really want to move forward. You have to start saying Yes not No. I can’t offer a simple solution in one blog but hopefully help you with a bit of a reality check. I am going to focus on going out as probably the greatest barrier we put up and one of the easiest to conquer.

Lets get a few things straight. It is not a crime to dress as a woman and go out unless you are just being downright vulgar. If women can wear men’s attire why is it so wrong for the reverse? You are not the first crossdresser out there and society is now becoming quite accustomed to seeing them in public. There are very very few documented assaults either verbal or physical on TV’s. The chances of you being clocked in your wig and make up are very very small especially if you are not out in your home town.

I know you are out of your general comfort zone but isn’t that part of the fun. The whole excess of this activity is one part of the drive that makes you up. It is about sex but not necessarily sexual (see previous blogs) and for many that one of the three key personal drivers (along with money and power) that if not sated can cause changes in your character. Stop listening to the denial people. Those who have absolutely no idea what is going on in your mind cannot dictate your actions as long as those actions do not offend others. Do not let others put you down and give you a reason to back out. You have to do it once to realise its you who is putting up the barriers and in reality they are nonsensical.

OK now you have got over the societal implications now there are the practicalities. The bulk of Trannys, particularly on their first time out are read as being exactly that. I see them, you see them, we all see them and we let them get on with it. So what is the problem? The problem is with you. You have to turn off that voice in your head that says no no no. You may not have great make up, you may stagger a bit in your heels, your voice is deep, you sit like a man at table, that dress is a bit too short and . All those will come with time, if you want them, but in the meantime just stop worrying about the small stuff. You may encounter a bit of whispering but counteract that thought with the fun you are having by being out. You are an oddity but not an offensive one. Just plan how to handle things ahead of time.

Susie wrote a good article to help you become confident on going out for the first time in her Chateau Femme Blog. Use this as a starting point if this blog has inspired you. Many of us have gone through these steps and nothing comes close to the combination of fear and exhilaration of the first time you have the courage to get out.

Believe me after your first time out your zone of comfort for going out will grow and the more you go out the less those ridiculous fears will disperse. I would however put a note of caution. Do still be aware what is going on around you as sometimes you can send out the wrong signals in your dress, mannerisms and actions. As a femme Transvestite you will attract a lot more attention of both the right and sometimes wrong persuasion. Its something many of us rough men cannot believe that when you are dressed others comet talk to you! Suddenly the social tables we are used to are turned and we find what it is like to be talked to first by both men and women alike. Quite exhilarating actually but at the same time odd to deal with.

The point is its not as big a deal as you make it out to be just follow Susie’s simple rules and you will be amazed what fun it is! If by any chance you would like a night out on the Souith Coast of England with a mad bunch of similar minded Trannies come see our page for Susie’s Angels on Facebook. Hope to see you soon XXX

Bloody hell I love the fun of being a Transvestite. Give me this over a game of footie or rugby on the telly a night out at the pub or a good dinner party and there is no comparison, well maybe the dinner party! Even this month my girly wardrobe just overtook my male one! What does this mean I do not know. But blokewear is trousers shirt jumper jacket and combinations of the above. On the femme side it’s all of the above plus plus plus and plus. Its so wonderfully all encompassing.

But this reminds me, as its that time of year when we can all go into shops and buy something for the ‘girlfriend’ ‘wife’ or ‘daughter’ for ourselves to beware of overindulging in this wonderful activity. As a ‘Transvestite’ that is exactly what it is. It’s not your life just a wonderful pastime which if left unrestrained can take over your life and affect all you loved ones. purely and simply because you follow your passion in a totally selfish and unfettered manner.

Susie my partner who runs the Chateau Femme dressing service says she is very wary of this. This applies especially when she sees a newbie who has never been able to transform before into the ‘girl’ of her dreams. With the size of wardrobe Susie has a beginner sees the myriad of possibilities that are now at their disposal! The result on departing is that they can tend to go mad in Primark where a vast array of cheap clothing in larger sizes is available (size 8/42 and 9/43 shoes hurrah!). But This could be a problem!

It’s a particular danger for new girls who suddenly have the freedom to dress as they please. And boy can you drain the family budget with your buying habits, if you have a family and you have not declared who you are, there will be some awful questions about your credit card bills at the end of the month.

And it’s not fair. I know it’s a part of you and you have to dress, but dishonesty about both your dressing, and spending is a double whammy on your partner. I did it and I suffered the consequences. I would say about 7 out of 10 of us have either been caught out or decide to tell their partner so it’s very likely this will happen to you. It’s the loss of trust between the two of you that is the worst, part it’s not the actual dressing, even though they may think that it is rather odd!

Dressing gives you a focus, a drive, a meaning to yourself, it does not give that to your partner. It says to her where was I in all this? Why do they never confide in me? Why was I not included. It’s not about how perverted you, or how gay you are and how vulgar this activity is. Your partner is not thinking like that. They are wondering where they got things so wrong, where they now fit in your lives and what the neighbours/friends will think if you are discovered.

But to you it says ‘wow’ the new opportunities are myriad. And it can clean out your bank account without you even thinking, it’s not yours it’s the family money and even if you are the major wage earner it’s not yours alone. When I was married I had little storage space so did not spend that much since my separation I have done a lot of spending and it could have gotten out of control. I mean a massive wardrobe and only dressing once a week…gotta get a grip on reality!

So it’s Christmas time and it’s about thinking of others. It’s about taking stock and working out where you are and where you are going. There is enough information in my previous posts to say stop being too self-indulgent and think about how dressing might effect those around you. How spending too much time, money or simply the whole thought process can dominate your life. It’s not fair and to be honest not real either! You need balance as a TV you need to set yourself clear goals at this time of year and come to terms with your dual identity. I am not saying tell your partner now I am saying get a grip and stop it dominating your life. It’s a great rush especially if you are new to dressing but it’s not a substitute for a good fun relationship.

I have so many lonely TV’s who love the dressing side but desperately want a genuine girl (gg) who accepts that they like to dress. They have given up a good relationship for the fact that this drive to dress is so important to them that everything else is subsumed. The net result is that when their life is not dressed it feels empty. So they pursue dressing with a vigour that unfortunately never really replaces a good relationship. They will go down the routes of bisexual affairs, they wil try mistresses, they will think about gender reassignment and they will try being monogamous! But the need to be with a real girl who understands them will pervade and in the end it can leave you rather empty.

So my message at Christmas this year is think about what this means to you in your life. How it will affect your relationships and how you want things to progress. It’s that time of year when we all review our lives we make resolutions but we also have to think of those around us. This dressing thing is a very very strong driver but it is also a life destroyer if we allow it to progress unchained. Be very careful what you wish for and its consequences

As you all know I try to stand up for the Transvestite side in a world that seems to be going Transgendered/Transsexual crazy. The last 12 months has seen the whole TS movement go over the tipping point in terms of public awareness or at least titillation in relation to genetic males wanting to become female. There are so many Caitlyn (Bruce) Jenners and Kellie (Frank) Maloneys and Laverne Coxs coming out of the woodwork to make their stand, and money, that it has been great for the whole T population

Kellie Maloney

in general. There are good things in this in that all T’s are much more accepted at bars, restaurants and entertainment venues where you are no longer seen as a complete oddity. Retailers just see you as a source of revenue and we are now regarded as a niche market that is to be targeted. Thanks Primark for size 8 and 9 (UK) shoes!

However this has also caused confusion in the general public as both TS’s and TV’s who tend to be wrapped up in the same ball-gown. Now all TGirls are seen as men wanting to be women and have their bits cut off! I am worried that we (TV’s) are being subsumed into the Transgendered culture and it being such a broad church we are assumed to be the same as the TS’s who are now in the mainstream. The gender identity (TS) vs sexual identity (TV) needs to be promoted more. Now I can hear howls of derision from some quarters that I am implying that being a TV is about sexuality, but this is not what I mean. I believe that in dressing we do experience a form excitement from adopting our femme personality. In the start its

Two Minds One Body

something that turns us on but as we age we realise its an innate part of us that allows us to relax into another role, particularly in our mindset. This in itself is the real turn-on.

TS’s suffer from gender dysphoria TV’s are very happy with their duality and enjoy the switch from one to another. They do this on a regular basis but it is not permanent. If they want to remain dressed en femme all the time I suggest they have moved further down the TS route

Personally I think we have both a male and a female side and that the stronger one is on one side the greater the urge to ‘play’ with the other side emerges. I am male first and foremost but so enjoy the femme side when I can. This is particularly relevant the more the other side is allowed out. Susie my partner who runs a dressing service called Chateau Femme always has concerns when she sees a new girl for their first time dressed in front of another living being. She knows that this experience is a bit like taking the genie out of the bottle. An inner desire has been exposed and all of the barriers one would have put in the way of stopping it will have been removed. The result of being fully transformed can take a number of routes. Some (a very few) will say no it’s not for me. Some will say ‘oh my God this is just what I needed’ (the vast majority) I will now start to do it on an occasional basis as the want within arises. And some will say this is so deep within me I have to do this on a very regular basis (quite a significant few). About 1 in 9 (sounds better than 1 in 10) she says will probably start down the TS route over time discovering that whilst they do not feel trapped in the wrong body they feel more comfortable in their female form and hence want to take things further.

Its A Fantasy Becoming Real

I fall into the second category. I love the whole calmer, living for the moment experience dressing gives me. I get off the expectations of the male world and indulge in the more laid back relaxed nature of my femme (note not female) side. I don’t feel like a woman a bit girlish but the definitions are very blurred. There are so many words out there to describe us Gender Fuck (someone who purposefully messes with the concepts of gender) Androgyn (one who messes with identity principally in dressing up) Genderfluid ( someone who floats between the genders) Pangender (someone who is all genders) and my personal favourite Polygender (someone who has more than one gender, either identifying as more than one gender at once). This amount of labelling makes communication with others as to why we like to dress so complicated. It will be a long time before the public understands a Transvestite, we are far too complicated to sum up in one sentence. And long may it reign. I don’t want to have my fun summed up in a simple sentence. I just want people to realise its a fun thing to do and does not hurt anyone…except…well figure it out!

Its The Look

But whilst Transsexuals focus on who they are we Transvestites focus on what we are. In defining this our dressing is the most crucial element. Yes I am sure TS’s, and I am sorry to use this term as they are apart from some minor abnormalities women in their minds, who love to dress up and look fantastic, but it does not define them. With a Transvestite it is the way and style of dress that gives us our identity. Default for us is dress or skirt, rarely when we go out as a group do the girls wear looser fitting jeans or trousers, if they do you can be sure they are bloody tight fitting and accompanied by some sexy heels or boots!

This is why Trannies love to get the affirmation that they look good when dressed. They even prowl up and down the bar hoping they get a ‘wow you look good’ compliment. Its their look and their ‘need’ that somebody else finds their outfit as attractive as they themselves do. Many dress as they would like to see a woman dressed and it is part of the whole fantasy in which they indulge. This is not necessarily in a sexual sense just that they feel so good that they just hope it does it for others in the same way…psychologists please explain in more than 5 tomes!

Even Trousers Can Look Cool In The Right Style!

If I am anything like the TV norm, and who is, then the real fun for me is in the planning of what I am going to wear. If I have enough free thinking time then for a few days before I know I am going to dress I love to look at all the options available. I enjoy browsing the Internet, opening the cupboard to new ideas, looking at old photos of outfits I have put together and generally looking for new inspiration within what is my style. This all helps the change of my mindset that I adore and it is part of my fantasy. But it is the clothes and the actual dressing that really makes it for me. I am sure many women understand this as well. The effect of a sexy pair of totally inappropriate heels, those ever so sheer stockings and that slightly too showy dress that make the look! Perhaps there may be hope for us to be understood apart from the Transsexual world. But whilst the TS is thinking about reassignment surgery and hormones I am thinking short skirts and an eBay bargain!

This is a re-working of an older blog I know, but recently I have genuinely realised how important dressing is to my state of mind and how the life of a Transvestite becomes intertwined with my male persona. More importantly it is an incredible outlet for relaxation.

Some people under stress find solace in alcohol or sex or drugs or many other things. I have realised that dressing isan incredible stress relief for me. I have written about it in the past particularly in relation to its sexual nature but until the other night in a hotel room on my own, with nothing but a suitcase ofclothes to entertain me, I did not realise how much I needed just to physically dress and be Tara. It is an ongoing separation from my sexual set and my Transvestite self. Yes dressing arouses me (see my other blogs) but I was very surprised at how exhilarating and powerful just having unfettered ‘Tara Time’ was for me.

Now many of you lucky people living on their own might not understand how vital being able to dress in an environment that is without stress and interruption is, because you always had it. I well remember being at home knowing my then wife was out and I had a couple of hours to dress in private before she came home. But during that whole time my senses were on red alert I never really relaxed. Would she come home early? What would she say if I was discovered? Who else might come to the door? Would she find something I had not packed away? Would I leave a web page open on the computer or my browsing history reveal all? I had to do it and got a rush out of the whole pressure of it all but I now realise that it did not help the stress I was under. Contrast this with the freedom of a whole evening where I could be the selfish one and just do what I wanted. Now that’s a zone I now know I want to be in.

Even in my current relationship with Susie from Château Femme you would think this is a perfect arrangement. Awoman who dresses Trannies for a living! Because she does understand, and adore, Trannies so well. But not so, interruptions to borrow make-up, clothes or jewellery. Interruptions to ask if the dress she is wearing is right. Interruptions to say when will you be ready, where is my phone, have you got the keys, are we taking a taxi or the car, where are we going to parketc. etc. etc. These distractions all stop the whole flow of turning your mindset from male to Tara. This needs time and focus without interruption.

Trannies Love Short Skirts

Suddenly, you are on your own and all that pressure, all those diversions are lifted. You can take 2 hours or more to put on your make-up. You can faff over minor things nobody but you will notice. To drink a glass of wine as you want. To decide between nude or semi-black stockings. To muse if you would like to play with yourself. To take breaks in dressing just to admire what you have done. Sit down and take stock, To go on You Tube to watch a make up video. To change your look, your wig , your dress style, your shoes, oh yes your shoes!!! To,walk around in total freedom on your own admiring yourself from every angle saying, hmmm great, hmm need to change that, hmm need a new this that or the other! The whole thing just allows Tara to become well Tara or a pale reflection of her ideal.

There is no rush, no pressure. Just a realisation that you have the time to do it. And when ‘she’ emerges there is that incredible sexy rush that says ‘I AM THERE’. Suddenly you are filled with elation that you have arrived at a level of consciousness that is soooooo satisfying. You prance around and just enjoy the moment.

OK there is one thing missing the appreciation of the public. All that effort and nobody saying ‘wow you look terrific!’ But that’s just a self-indulgent thing that is not as real as having the freedom without barriers of being who you are. It’s just you playing with the whole mindset you are now in.

Smokey Purple Eyes Anyone?

The result of this is an intense feeling of genuine deep relaxation that for a few hours you have turned off the world and just thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed indulging in your alter-ego without any strings any expectations and any interruptions. Nobody is judging, you nobody is telling you who to be. Absolutely brilliant and ironically so rare! These are the moments when you genuinely come to terms with who you are and thoroughly enjoy the escape from day-to-day vanilla life.

The issue for many Trannies however is to establish how strong a drive this is. I love both my male and Tranny sides on about and 80/20 ratio. Last month I had a week where I dressed 4 times and I noticed how by the fourth time the desire to dress had waned considerably. I cared less about the effort I put into dressing, I did not enjoy the night as much, nor did I really get into being ‘Tara’. Bit like being on a 4 day bender, the first is the best the rest have diminishing returns. I was more a cock in a frock going through the motions by the end. I was glad on the next night when I was prevented from dressing, again, due to being late. I realised that this was not a lifestyle choice just a great bit of sexy fun. The beast had been sated and I would wait until the sap rose again. But when that time arose and I had genuine freedom to express myself the high was amazing. Tara is not something that someone can turn on…and off at a say so. The mood and the moment have to be right and the build up to it is so much a part of the transformation. I love the planning and the fantasy of what will happen. Just saying go get dressed now just has no magic in it for me.

So moral of this blog is get time away from everything and just be you the way you want to be. Turn off the outside and indulge in your passions the way you enjoy things and remember there is no prescription, We Trannies are similar but also very different, unique even in so many aspects. The effect is an incredible and intense form of relaxation that beats any mindfulness or swami rituals.

Like this:

In my never ending quest to understand Transvestism I found a new ally in a recent article by Jillian Keenan in Slate on BDSM and kink in general. She argued that kink was a sexual orientation and in many cases it overpowers gender. The fact that so many reduce sexual orientation to genitalia is a vast simplification of how we live our lives. In her case sexual orientation revolves around who (not how) and is any sexual identity that is fixed and unshakable that it defies choice, reason, and even, at times, simple evolutionary explanation.

In the same way she talks about kink so transvestites can talk about how it is quite an orientating force that it overpowers gender stereotypes. I have always argued that as a Transvestite when dressed I feel neither a man or woman more an inter-sexed person for which there is no real dictionary definition. Sexually men and women (and other TV”s) can have an effect on me, but its the person not their sexual identity. It is something I have played with in the past and realised sex was not the outcome I wanted from these encounters. More of a recognition of Tara. But that is for me. Others want to go all the way with whoever in whatever way they feel is right for them.

Jillian naturally talks that pain is her kink and determines her orientation and overcomes pre-set stereotypes. I would argue that many Trannies are also in some ways addicted to an inner being that for want of a better word we call ‘femme’ that overcomes strong biological and sociological influences. The fact that so many of us try to give up this way of life and then return to it as an inner urge re-establishes itself in our mind must indicate that this is not just some passing fancy but a much deeper part of our persona and sexuality.

Kate also looked at the LBGTQ comparative issues and I found myself siding with her and felt that Transvestites should be more closely aligned to the BDSM world rather that the LBGTQ people.

I feel we do it for the pure enjoyment that it gives us rather than the inner being that is telling us we are not what society and biology says us we should be. They have far deeper issues than us Trannies, but what we both have in common concerns identity issues and how society in general handles or (in the bulk of the population) cannot really handle them. Because they do not understand.

I loved the fact that she said she didn’t choose kink it was within her and found her. It was not a choice hobby or phase it was intrinsic to her and was quite fundamental to her sexual identity. It transgressed gender. Is that not what we also feel. Its something innate that just needs a trigger to be pulled and then try putting that genie back in the bottle (OK too may clichés in a sentence!). She said that the explosion of 50 Shades of Grey was great in some ways for the BDSM world as people were allowed to experiment more and led to more acceptability. But in the main it was just fun bedroom play. To the hard core BDSMers it is not like this, it is very much their lifestyle choice and she says her addiction. In similar ways so with Transvestites they can be compared with crossdressers who have a bit of a panty or stocking fetish, but that is very much a weaker form of Transvestism. We on the other hand, after many purges, we finally come to accept it as part of our lifestyle and pursue it with relish, as and how we can.But only after coming to terms with it not as a perversion or with repulsion or frowned upon.

I am one who loves both sides and enjoy the whole ‘mind fuck’ of transformation. If the event is occurring a couple of days ahead I love the whole planning and preparation before the actual dressing. I genuinely feel my whole persona changing from a grumpy old git to a more relaxed tart! Now I fully appreciate I am at a certain point on the Transvestite continuum and that many would like to dress most of the time. But just as I do not think there is a 24/7 BDSM relationship so I believe that many Trannies like to play between the two sides to a greater or lesser degree. Who is the dominant one I do not know. Particularly if you enjoy being more ‘heterosexual manly’ in male mode then I think the ‘change’ is even more exciting.

Finally I loved her closing remark saying that in order to qualify as a sexual orientation an identity must not only be innate, unshakeable and unchosen but also, stigmatised. I often wonder that if it was ‘normal’ for anyone to wear a short skirt, high heels and stockings would the whole dressing-up give us such an unique buzz!

The only area we disagree with Jillian is that she says her sexual orientation is her illness not her hobby. I love Transvestism as a wonderful, all encompassing, heady pastime in which I indulge as the need takes me, not an illness that has to be cured. XXX

This blog is, as always, really for the ‘novice’ transvestite who has not yet come to accept who they are. It is intended to save you a lot of money and concerns ‘purging’. I also make my standard disclaimer that this blog is primarily aimed at transvestites, particularly male to female who enjoy wearing clothes of the opposite sex, it is not really for TS’s as they are women trapped in a man’s body which dressing alone will not solve.

Purging is the bain of many of us and the cost of it will directly harm your finances! For anyone not knowing what purging is, put simply it is the disposal of your ‘girly’ things (normally your entire wardrobe and associated artefacts) due principally to you feeling guilty or embarrassed about who you are and/or what you are doing. It tends to happen when you start to question why you crossdress and whether you should stop as it may be starting to dominate too much of your life and you are not being manly enough! By taking the clothes away you think you will take away the urge to dress, as you do not have anything to wear. This in turn you believe will not conjure up those inner feelings that dressing gives you. You take away temptation and hence you cannot indulge. For a small few this does work. But as over 90% of trannies will tell you it never really removes the urge and you end up disposing of one wardrobe only to replace it with another.

There are numerous things that can trigger a purge but it is primarily it is in your mind:

You are very scared that your activity will be discovered and you will be exposed for the ‘pervert’ you are.

Transvestism/Crossdressing is determined as wrong by society and you should be ashamed of what you are doing so stop it!

You are incensed that this habit of wanting to dress in women’s clothes is taking up too much time and money and should stop immediately.

Its not really a manly pursuit dressing in women’s clothes and laughable from your mates perspective.

You are frightened that your secret stash of girly clothes will be discovered and you will be exposed for the shameful person you are…slut!

You have just had a brilliant time dressing and think that now is a good time to stop because, it’s not really an acceptable, and that you should go out on a high.

Your clothes have been discovered and you have agreed with your partner to dump them.

Dressing has now become an unnecessary diversion from other far more important things in life.

I personally have purged on 4 different occasions. 3 were due to the embarrassment/guilt factor and once was due to the discovery of Tara by my then wife. As you can imagine it means I have replaced my wardrobe on 4 occasions probably at a cost of over £1,000 per time! OK it was a cheap wardrobe!

So let’s just look at this whole area of shame logically and rationally. Firstly Society. There is natural bias amongst certain parts of society about many things for example BDSM was totally frowned on now Fifty Shades of Grey shows that consensual play is OK. The Xenophobic bias that is very obvious in British culture fomented by the likes of UKIP. The unfounded dislike of gays and lesbians over the years. Its a fact that some people have bias in their life, but the reality is that the majority of people are far more liberal in their views and say live and let live. By dressing you fall into a small sub-category of life that will cause people to stare purely because you are different. But from my experience most actually quite like to talk to you once they overcome the initial ‘shock’ that you are different because you are different. The second area is your own mindset. I liken it to cars. You buy one you were fairly unaware of and suddenly you see hundreds because your brain is alert to this type of car. In dressing it heightens all the fears above and it starts to dominate your thoughts so you are intensifying the feeling of embarrassment and guilt. As a result you look to a solution and purging is the answer. Bad premise.

Yes Dumping It Make All The Feelings Go Away!

As I say almost all girls come back to dressing after purging. It is very difficult though to stop, Angela Gardener in the TG Forum has a similar article trying to help people as well as experiences from the Transgendered Forum relating to the cost and virtually nil benefits of throwing out your clothes. You have to try to come to terms with the fact this is inherent within you. If you feel guilt try to come to terms with the fact that you are among thousands of others with a similar drive. Yes you are not a ‘vanilla’ person but then again who is! You are just like Manchester United supporters, something you do not understand but let them get on with it! Stop moralising it and manage it. Yes in a few circumstances it is wrong, it offends others, I have written about it in previous blogs on how we should handle some of these situations such as whether to tell your partner or not or going to the women’s guild annual meetings!

My partner Susie who runs a dressing service called Château Femme though does worry that if not managed correctly it can become all-consuming and dominate your waking hours. She sees novices who start by dressing once a month to moving to a need to dress almost all the time as its so innate to them. They do not feel like women but do love to move to the ‘femme side’ on a very regular basis. Believe you me I do and love the whole change of mindset as has been discussed in previous blogs. Some of course naturally realise that the dressing is a path to becoming a TS and that the woman has been suppressed within them for so long and it is the catalyst for a new path.

For the most of us the purging does stop when you can finally rationalise your dressing as a fun activity that is not really harming anyone, apart from you (and your family) because it is hidden. You can also start at this point to come to terms with it and realsie the guilt and embarrassment you felt is in reality of your own making. You are making it into a bigger thing than the ones around you do. Except possibly your immediate family which is something you may have to address at some point. But this is a case of timing and preparation. A good article for this regarding coming out to your wife/partner was written in the Chicago Now blog. I also have previous blogs on how we should handle this situation.

Life is all about balance it shifts all the time but denial on one side can lead to frustration on the other. Frustration can lead to stress which in turn makes you irritable and angry. Play between the two parts of your life responsibly and save money! XXX

Last week there was one of those interminable discussions on Facebook regarding the use of the word Transvestite and Tranny. How some see this as degrading and others are accepting of it. I as many of you who have read my blog am very accepting of it but I do get tired of people going on about whether it is right or wrong. Just be relaxed and understand what the ‘label ‘ means to the majority of people.
The dictionary or accepted definition of Transvestite (which I think comes more from an American rather than British perspective) is : ‘a person, typically a man, who derives pleasure from dressing in clothes appropriate to the opposite sex’. However in many cases in the definition some add ‘a person who derives sexual pleasure’ to the basic definition. The issue that is always the bone of contention is when the comment issue of ‘dressing for sexual thrill’ comes into it and then some add ‘to have sex’ on top of all this Then the plain and honest dressers throw all their toys out of the cupboard and stamp on them! For my own ten penneth I think we have to distinguish between the thrill of dressing and the act of a sexual experience.
I do get a ‘sexy’ thrill from dressing but not a ‘sexual’ one. Susie who runs the Château Femme dressing service likens it to when she was 17 and went out dressed with her girlfriends on her own for the first time. They all felt incredibly beautiful sexy and randy but that doesn’t mean they were on the pull. It was the elation of getting out and about as they wanted to be, not in the controlled fashion dictated by their parents. The whole dressing experience for them was an uplifting one and so it is for Trannies. Hah! have used the forbidden word again! The former is confused with the latter in the vernacular.
I have always said in the past that I feel sexy when dressed en femme. I do not feel sexy dressed as a man but put those girly clothes on and It’s a rush and a half!
Susie, kind as she is, said I look sexy as a man. But I offered her the idea that she should imagine herself with short, thinning, balding hair, no make-up, cotton bra and knickers, in a t-shirt and jeans and flat shoes does she feel sexy…answer no! Then think of herself with long hair beautifully made up plenty of jewellery a short dress stockings and heels with manicured and painted nails and some sexy silk underwear under all that. How does she feel now? Yep,that’s the sexy feel us Transvestite well I get, not sexual!
Yes of course it may make us feel a little horny but that is part of the whole release of the inner you. Without the rush I get in front of the mirror when I first look at myself fully dressed it would be a deflating experience. I would also couple this to another element which is the sheer sigh of relaxation that Tara is back and the associated change of mindset this offers. LOVE IT!
But this also leads to that inevitable question that we all ask ourselves ‘why am I like this?’ Why do I feel it is such an integral part of my being that I have to dress on a regular basis and, when deprived of it for a period of time, I can become frustrated, edgy and even mildly depressed? There is nothing genetic about it so what is it that drives us? This is a time-honoured question which many have looked at, but no one yet has a definitive answer (too much of a minority subject). Therefore any amateur psychologist can have a go. So here is my two-minute personal view on the subject.
I believe there are two routes into transvestism (note not Transsexualism, that is completely different). The first is that it is innate in us. Susie says that in her dressing service about 80 percent of her customers say it has always been there and that they have suppressed it for a long time. Others, like me, had an experience of something or other that triggered the interest/desire. in my case it happened around puberty, and this had a fundamental effect on them and that lead them to dressing. In my case it was a fascination with stockings and tights from a very early age, so much so that my first orgasm was whilst wearing tights. I did not know what had happened (sex education did not exist and your parents did not discuss it) and it left a strong impression on me . Wearing stockings led to experimentation with dressing and so on…
But from there we then go on the whole should I dress and the associated guilt trips of dressing. This can involve many cycles and cross many years. The reality is that at some point we come to terms with it and accept that it is something within us, it offends few so why the hell not get on with it. Unfortunately for many the sheer embarrassment of being found out, particularly when younger, is a bigger driver than indulging in an activity frowned on by a large segment of society.
With most of us it is a roadmap that has many twists and turns. We all try numerous routes and find many dead ends on our path to enlightenment. But isn’t that all part of the fun? The eralier you start the more fun you can have!
To give you an example this is how it worked for me. As I said in my early teens it started with stockings and occasionally trying on my sister’s clothes. When I moved away from home in my late teens the urge receded with my first girlfriends and the introduction to sex. That occupied enough of my time! I tried on a couple of things but it lay dormant until my early thirties when a playful Sub/Dom night with a girlfriend just clicked on something. After we split I went to a mistress for the first time with a ‘like something different’ request. After 20 mins chat she said ‘I think you are a Transvestite’. She dressed me and that was that. For the subsequent years I bought clothes dressed in secret got a guilt trip and purged on at least 4 occasions. Ouch, all those clothes and money in a dump bin!Finally by my mid 40’s I accepted it. This was primarily due to the internet. I realised there are thousands like me that had had the similar experiences to a greater or lesser extent. I realised it was not going to recede and I had to accept it. I started to go out and my wardrobe grew. It was fun. Then my wife found out and we divorced. It was not the dressing it was the fact that I had lied and kept it from her that had such a shock. Now I am able to pursue it as I wish. But that is just one level. One side issue however has been that as a result of all those years of guilt and dishonesty I still have problems opening up to anyone about it. Even a girlfriend that runs a dressing service! You get so used to hiding things it becomes the norm, and to be honest you are only dumping your years of pent up frustration on someone who really is not that empathetic.
On top of this there are numerous other layers one of which is the whole illicit element of the fact it is ‘not done’ in society. I think many of us actually enjoy that we are different from mainstream society and we are doing something a little naughty and that gives us a thrill as well. Then there is also the fantasy element where us more mature Trannies dress in outfits a 30+ years old woman would rarely wear! Its all part of the complex make-up of being a Transvestite. Listen I even get a thrill out of the constricting sensations from elements of shapewear…such a pervert!
This is why we are so difficult to comprehend and nigh on impossible to explain to the public at large. There is no biological reason for being a Transvestite just a deep-seated instinctive thing inside us that needs from time to time to be sated. For me long may we remain in the ‘specialist’ sector such as Trekkies, Goths, Steampunk, Train-spotters and the like. We must not be confused with the bulk of Transgenderists. They have an in-built female drive that says they are a woman. Yes Transvestism might be a start to help them down the line of their gender dysphoria but it’s not really a solution. They really need to be female not just feminine. Its a bit like so many Transvestites go to Gay bars primarily because they are more accepting of them than the mainstream, even though the bulk of Trannies say they are not gay! It is our personal expression and being with like-minded people who enjoy a similar label is part of our fun!
So that’s my skew on this marvellous sexy life of the Transvestite. Now I will await the hatred and invective bile from the people who hate the label Transvestite and Tranny. I love them, sets me apart! XXX

I have always loved hiding behind the veil of transvestism. It affords me so many opportunities to express an inner self that is for the most part hidden. So many of the ‘girls I meet love the freedom that dressing gives them. It opens so many doors that the vanilla boy could never explore. So many identify with a second person within the one body.

I have always talked about how I can feel my whole mindset changing as I create the alternative persona of Tara. Susie my partner who runs the dressing service Chateau Femme says she sees it in most of her girls and loves not only seeing the physical transformation but also the mental changes that manifest themselves once a girl is dressed. She definitely sees it in me and you can read about all the fun we have had with that side in previous posts!!
I love the whole release from the norms of ‘vanilla’ life. It is a wonderful release. I feel that over the years the strictures of adulthood, my family upbringing, schooling and general attitudes prevalent in society have ensured I was conditioned to be a particular type of conformist. I was never the rebel and life remained a little more prosaic as a result. I recognise now that in order to get on I subordinated other drives within myself in order to climb the greasy pole of corporate life. It is only since I became self-employed making my own decisions, unencumbered by politics or political correctness that I allowed other aspects of my life to emerge and flourish. This has been bit by bit no road to Damascus moment for me.

I was out with a group of girls at the BNO and it was interesting to hear how they got to where they are and had the courage to be out for a fun night with the rest of the girls. Many said that those first steps were filled with trepidation but they had put the barriers in their own minds and they were continually looking at the worst case scenario. Top of that list was being recognised, found out and exposed to friends and family. I am not going to tell anyone to forget this aspect of fear but I would say put it into perspective. You are putting different clothes on, hiding behind a veil of make up and even sunglasses, then going to venues your friends, family and office colleagues never visit so the chances are slim. What I now know was that I feel there was an incredible missed opportunity in particular in my thirties for some great fun!

Susie says that so many of her clients say after their first dressing they wished they had also done it earlier but they, as so many of us, have decided that retreat is the better part of valour, and how you could possibly tell your partner having hidden this secret for so long! It is impossible to really say there is a perfect way to tell someone (see previous postings). Suffice to say people are more accepting than you think once they get their head around it! But then again it is also a very distracting (and addictive) hobby and I probably would have not put as much effort into my work and family life if I had been having the fun I now do. Ah life is so much about choices!!!
Being able to dress however allows me to break the barriers. The physical act of putting on femme clothes and in my case clothes that many say I am far too old to wear breaks all the taboos and thus releases the ‘devil’ (with a small d) in me. Suddenly the blinkers are off and the freedom this allows me is amazing. Sorry girls I know I am a bad dancer but who cares, that is the least of my worries! In younger days this allowed me to experiment with aspects of my sexuality as I really did not know why I dressed and how it affected me. Been there, done it, bought the strap-on thrown it in the bin. I always say try everything once except incest and Morris dancing! Nowadays the experimental side has taken a back seat as I have settled into enjoying the paths that I do not regard as dead ends. And there are plenty of those. Oh God there are plenty of those!
So this includes things such as heels that are too high, skirts that are too short and dresses that are far too tight. This can take a frightful toll on the budgets as you are buying clothes for 2 people, though I must say the man budget is less than half the woman’s. As for make up this is getting more elaborate but not in so much of a drag queen way! Instead I watch You-tube try to hide, layer and preen in a more sophisticated way than I did 5 years ago. One foundation…you must be crazy! What is more evident how encompassing things have now become. I have time to experiment. How does contouring work? Is taping or nude bras the best way to create cleavage? What is the best way to tuck? Is it easier to walk in heels with or without a sway? Etc. etc. etc.

In recent months as Tara has got out on a more consistent basis so it has had a double effect. Firstly it is slightly addictive in its nature as you get an inner excitement from dressing and just love to see yourself dolled up on a regular basis, so you need this outlet. Secondly you do start to feel that something is lacking in your schedule if you cannot dress once a week, the beast needs to be sated…again and again. This is a warning to all those who either cannot dress as they please or that their partner does not want to see them dressed. To them I suggest keep it to a special once a month event and recognise that after that event you have to put the girl away and focus on life’s other priorities. All of us hate that time at the end of the evening when you are in front of the mirror and you are taking the girly face off to be replaced by Mr Sexual Norm. It is a real downer, but instead think how lucky you have been to have the ‘b###s’ to have done this and had an experience of which so many others are very envious. For those of you who can dress how and where as they please look back at a past article where I say you should be considerate of your surroundings and others and not thrust your lifestyle in their face…ah yes, another avenue I closed off many moons ago xxx

In this one they mention a photographer who takes pictures of crossdressers. She says that there are three times in a man’s life when he might awaken to the fact that he enjoys women’s clothing. First is puberty, the next is in his 30s/40s, and finally in his 60s after retirement. Each of these tends to be a major turning point in their lives. I haven’t reached my 60’s yet but can definitely identify with earlier times. I had pangs from 9-14 years old and rediscovered them in my early 30’s. Susie my partner who runs Chateau Femme dressing service says that inquisitive men in their 30’s and retired men in their 60’s are a dominant part of new girls who come to visit. These more mature men have in some cases harboured this desire for a long time. But others have done it on a whim and found themselves a fantastic new hobby, or in a few cases a complete lifestyle.Always A Start

I also loved the article from Rocket News about a ‘Girls’ Club in Tokyo where anyone can dress anyway they like. The bulk of the customers there were not interested in being fun and sexy, just ‘ We do not want to be girls just cute‘. I thought so true. It really is all about the look for me. Then its about the mannerisms and finally the whole way you act. Susie had just had the stock for her new set of wigs delivered the other day and she asked me to try some on. Without make up on I looked dreadful and this combined with the article struck such a chord.

The whole idea is that we do put a lot of effort in trying to turn the male sow’s ear into a femme silk purse. We tend to like what we see, its better than the male self. OK it may not be that feminine in the truest sense of the word except for a gifted few. But boy do we feel a million dollars. Its not Ted or Bill or Frank looking back at us but a changed person with a femme name and we love it. I have always alluded to the change of mindset that I go through in transforming from male to T. I love the journey and the destination, it leaves me in a really new and perfect place. As I have now had a couple of years of being able to indulge as and when I want I realise it is now a part of me. Its not a drug that is addictive, its now a psychological part of my make up that is a great calming influence on my life.

Parts of it are now creeping into my everyday life such as mannerisms, oh God a limp wrist again, stop walking that way boy, stop slouching and sit up more! Its just fun and I am constantly fighting the brainwashing that I have gone through in conforming to society’s social mores. Its a bit like coming round to say God does not exist when you have had so much religious doctrine imposed on you from such an early age. You feel guilty for something you should not.

I have read that many T-girls in their early days got sexually turned on by dressing, but as time has passed this has waned. I would argue against this for many of us, not all. The whole process of dressing and getting out is a wonderful buzz and just because you have not got a stonker does not mean you still don’t get excited! Oh help us if life has to be bland and nobody can stand out a bit. That also means you cannot belittle Trekky Conventions, Stamp Collectors and Birdwatchers. Each of us have our own bent! The article Why Do I Crossdress shows there are so many shades to this spectrum. (I am no 18!)

This also has bearings on our sexuality or more importantly our psyche. I do get excited by dressing it does give me a buzz and makes me a little more playful or extrovert. But I think the bulk of it is in the mind and for me that is where it stays nowadays. In my younger days the amount of times I found myself chatting to another ‘girl’ in a rather flagrant way were numerous. But only too quickly I would realise this was a fantasy, not a reality, and a girl without her wig and make-up was just a man. It was the look that appealed to me and probably a little bit of the chase, not the kill!

Now I know others disagree with my standpoint as I discussed in an article last year on flirting vs sex some girls are genuinely gay or bi and do find going the whole way part of their way of expressing themselves, the problem with us flirters is that we are sending out the wrong message to people who are genuinely interested in taking things further. Susie has made me realise this and to understand what I thought was harmless fun in reality is playing with peoples feelings too much. I have put a serious stop to it…well most of the time!